Suspect fatally shot by police is nephew of Oliver Thomas

The gun-wielding man fatally shot late Thursday by New Orleans Police was the nephew of former city councilman Oliver Thomas, police sources said.

Alton Laraque, 19, died near his residence in the Iberville public housing complex.

Police were called to complex around 8:30 p.m. to handle a report of a man involved in a domestic disturbance. Laraque had apparently had been arguing with a girlfriend, police said.

When police responded, Laraque acted defiantly, they said. Laraque and police exchanged gunfire on two occasions within an hour, police said.

After the initial exchange near Iberville and Crozat streets, Laraque managed to evade police for about an hour, police said.

But police found him hiding underneath a car and another exchange of gunfire ensued, police said. Laraque died at the scene.

A distraught Thomas, a former city councilman who resigned in August after pleading guilty to taking bribes, arrived at the scene late Thursday night.

Police said they initially discovered a man carrying a chrome-colored, 9 mm pistol and chased him when he ran, police spokeswoman Shereese Harper said. During the foot-chase, Laraque turned and shot at the officer, who returned fire, police said.

The officer was not hit, and it still has not been determined whether the man was wounded at that time. But he managed to evade the officer's pursuit, officers said.